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Sites We Use in the Classroom

Articles & Discussion Questions

We start many of our days together by reading an article from the newspaper or another current publication. In addition to discussing the content and writing style of the pieces, noticing interesting vocabulary words and solving math problems presented in the the texts, we talk about the lessons we learn from the articles and how we can apply them in our own lives.

Below are links to the articles and some of the questions we discussed as a class.

Roger Bannister, the first runner to break the four-minute mile, said that when it comes to performance, "It is the brain, not the heart or lungs that is the critical organ." Do you agree or disagree? Have you noticed instances in your life when competition has made you perform better than you ever have before? Is it okay for a coach to lie if it makes athletes perform better, or is it better to be honest even if it doesn't get results?

Would you rather be an expert rappeller (have the ability to get people access to places they otherwise would not be able to reach), or an expert engineer (have the ability to see what needs to be fixed and make a building safe)? Would you rather build something new or fix something/make it better? Is it more important for a building to be beautiful/unique or solid/structurally sound?

Which is more powerful: a tarantula or a tarantula hawk? Is it right to hurt others if it helps you? Which is more powerful: a good defense, or a good offense? Which is the most important for survival: using strategy, or having a powerful weapon?

Which tells a better story: a written article of words, or a collection of photos? If the outcome is the same (a huge wildfire that has burned for weeks, destroyed a lot of land and taken some peoples' homes) does it make a difference if the fire was started by accident or on purpose?

Which is more important: a cheaper cost of a shoe, or the ability of an expensive shoe to allow you to generate electricity? Would you rather come up with an invention or business to help people create electrical power on their own, or to help them create another type of power on their own (e.g. happiness, knowledge, money, something else)?

Do you agree that looking forward is more important than looking back? Which is more important: personal privacy and freedom or public safety? What can you do to make the world safer, more compassionate, and more equitable?

Do you think the Office’s money is better spent on technological improvements or more patent officers? If you had a patent pending, would you rather pay more to have it processed faster or less, but have to wait longer?
Tuesday, February 8, 2011: From BBC News: Lake Vostok Drilling in Antarctic 'running out of time'.

Do you think it is worth the risk to keep drilling or should they stop in order to protect what might lie beneath the ice?

Thursday, February 3, 2011: Today Ellie shared a fascinating article and a video about "The Invisible Man."

Ellie asked, "Why do you think this artist is doing this? Do you think he is trying to say something about the way China treats its artists? Do you think this art makes no sense, or that it is beautiful?"

Can people have more than one calling? Would you give up one calling in order to pursue another? Why or Why not?

Thursday, October 28, 2010. From a special pink section of the Austin American-Stateman dedicated to breast cancer awareness: A Sister's Promise Set Foundation in Motion and Bright Fundraisers: Artist's 'The Smile Never Fades' Highlights Creatures Who Comfort. (These two articles are not available on-line. They are both about people who lost a loved one to breast cancer and then started organizations to raise awareness and money in hopes of finding a cure.)

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Something good can come from sadness.

What makes the Dead Sea Scrolls important: is it how old they are, how few people have had access to them or the content? If you had to choose to protect the scrolls from damage or share them with the public, what would you do?

If you had to choose one side of the debate, would you allow the power plant to use water from the Colorado river or not? Do you think it would be better to have the river controlled by the government/central committee, or have the water available to anyone who is able to take and use the water creatively?

Monday, September 27, 2010. From The Austin American-Statesman: Bike For School

Do you think P.E. should be required in schools or should it be a choice?

Would you rather be a field scientist observing animals in their natural habitats and collecting samples, a lab scientist working to make a discovery based on the samples collected in the field, or a medical scientist using the findings to create new medicines?